Windows 10 May be Adding a “Game Mode” in Upcoming Creators Update

Microsoft is reportedly working on a “Game Mode” feature for Windows 10 that could increase performance for PC games, according to a file found in a leaked preview update.

Twitter user WalkingCat discovered a new dynamic-link library (DLL) called “gamemode.dll” in the latest pre-release Windows 10 build (14997). In another tweet, the user says that it “looks like Windows will adjust its resource allocation logic (for CPU/Gfx etc.)” to increase the performance of a game over other programs.

Windows Central backs up the discovery with their own sources, saying Game Mode will reportedly work similar to how an Xbox One can run games. Currently, the console will “allocate resources to make sure the game is running the best it possibly can” when a game is launched.

The feature is expected to launch alongside the Windows 10 Creators Update, releasing sometime in Spring 2017. It is unknown if the feature will only work with Windows Store games or will extend to games launched from other clients, such as Steam and Origin.

The Creators Update, announced last October, features its new Paint 3D program alongside better support for virtual reality and augmented reality headsets, but also offers built-in game streaming using the Microsoft-acquired Beam service and lets players create their own tournaments.